Upper Hat is indeed the "lesser sister" of the two stream sections. Upper Hat is the "bread and butter" fishery for spin fishermen, while Lower Hat has the mystique that goes with unique wild trout waters.

However, the one thing that both sections of stream have in common is the stable water conditions that create a cold, forage-rich environment that is ideal for rainbow, brown and brook trout. "The water in the creek comes from Big Springs, where the water boils right out of the ground, and the volcanic watershed of Lassen Volcanic Park," said Steve Vaughn, owner of Vaughn's Sporting Goods in Burney. "The creek's water is clear, cold and stable year round, with little impact from runoff like many other streams."

The most heavily fished portion of Upper Hat Creek is the 10 miles from Bridge Campground to Honn Campground along Highway 89. Seven public campgrounds and four picnic areas are nestled along this section; the stretches above Lassen Park and below Bridge Camp are private.

Upper Hat Creek can be a busy place on a holiday weekend, like when Tom Mulderrig and I fished it for the first time this season. The peak time for fishing the creek is in June and July and again from October 1 through the end of the stream trout season on November 16. After Labor Day, the creek again becomes a quiet place where you can find plenty of solitude while fishing its trout-rich waters.

Three species of trout are found in Upper Hat - rainbow, brook and brown trout. The Department of Fish and Game plants catchable brown and brook trout in the creek from Twin Bridges to Honn Campground. This year the allotment is 15,700 pounds of rainbows and 13,800 pounds of Eastern brook trout, according to Shane Overton, manager of Crystal Springs Fish Hatchery near Burney. The brown trout found in the stream are self-sustaining.

Anglers can catch a mixture of recent planters, holdovers and wild trout in the creek, although planted brookies were most in evidence on anglers' stringers the day my cousin I fished the creek. I didn't see any anglers pulling out limits of trout, but most of the anglers, including some complete novices, reported catching one to three brookies each.

I found my best action while drifting nightcrawlers and tossing out spinners on Hat; other anglers reported good fishing drifting salmon eggs and tossing out spinners. Jaime Hilger of Middletown tricked a feisty brookie with a Mepps #2 spinner, while David Kaputo of Central Point, Oregon nailed a 2 pound brookie with Power Bait. Although most fly anglers concentrate on the wild trout section, fly fishing is also very productive on Upper Hat.

"I fly fish upper Hat usually two to three times per year," said Steve Vaughn, "and I typically catch and release around a half-dozen fish. You'll find the larger trout when fishing away from the campgrounds in the harder-to-reach areas. The largest rainbow I know that was taken out of Lower Hat weighed 7 pounds."

A variety of flies in sizes #10 to #12 are productive on this beautiful stream. Terrestrials, such as hopper and ant patterns, Royal Wulffs, Rio Grande Specials, Bucktail and yellow Humpies are the top patterns that Vaughn recommends using. Caddis patterns are also effective, since caddis hatches are abundant in the stream's cold, forage-rich waters.

Panther Martin, Rooster Tail, Mepps, Blue Fox and other spinners in 1/16 to 1/8 ounce are the hottest lures, according to Vaughn. However, be prepared to clean your lure often when tossing out spinners in Hat because there are lots of weed beds on the stream.

Barrier-free (handicapped) access is available at the Cave Campground. The campground offers two wheelchair-accessible fishing platforms. Excellent hiking opportunities are also available on the stream; you can walk the four mile long "fishermen's access trail" between Cave and Bridge campgrounds.

One of the great things about camping along Upper Hat Creek is that you have many other fishing and other recreational options besides Upper Hat nearby. You can fish for trout in Baum Lake or the Upper Cassel area or test your fly fishing skills on a chalk-stream like lower Hat Creek. Other excellent trout waters include the Fall River, the Pit River and Burney Creek above and below Burney Falls.

If you get tired of catching trout, you can sample the fine smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing at Lake Britton. I experienced one of my hottest days of bass fishing ever while fishing top water lures on this lake two years ago. Crappie can also be caught on small jigs and meal worms at this reservoir.

You can drive to Lassen National Park and sample the fly fishing at Manzanita Lake or climb Lassen Peak. The trail to the top of Mt. Lassen is a well-graded climb of 2,000 feet, from 8,500 feet to 10,457 feet in 2.5 miles of hiking.

Another unique adventure is to walk through Subway Cave. Just 1/4 mile north of the Highway 44/89 intersection near Old Station, this lava tube cave is 1,300 feet long and between 6 and 17 feet high.

If you want to explore the Subway Cave, keep in mind that it is cold (46 degrees F.) and dark. You should dress warmly and take a good flashlight with fresh batteries. The floor is rough, so sturdy shoes are a must. Do not tour the cave alone!

For more information on camping and facilities in the Hat Creek area of Lassen National Forest, contact the Hat Creek Ranger District, Fall River Mills, (530) 336-5521. For fishing information, contact Steve Vaughn at Vaughn's Sporting Goods: telephone; 530-335-2381; postal address, 37307 Main St. Burney CA, 96013; website, www.vaughnfly.com. You can get supplies, gasoline and groceries in Burney, Old Station and Hat Creek.